Chapter 7 - The Audit of a Lifetime
Two weeks after the catastrophic collapse of the Moretti destination wedding, I was back in Boston, sitting in the sunlit living room of my modest apartment on D Street. My right leg rested comfortably on an elevated orthopedic ottoman, the heavy fiberglass cast replaced by a lightweight, removable medical boot. Outside my single window, the late autumn leaves blew across the sidewalk, and the radiator hummed its familiar, comforting rhythm at precisely 11:45 AM.
My life had changed dramatically, but not in the way my family had planned.
Vesper and her legal team had successfully executed a comprehensive forensic audit of my parents' household accounts, uncovering a massive web of hidden debts, unpaid mortgages, and fraudulent loans that my father had accumulated over a decade of living far beyond his financial means. The luxury estate in Boston was currently under federal receivership, scheduled for a distress auction to satisfy creditors and reimburse my stolen savings account in full.
My phone buzzed on the coffee table beside a steaming mug of chamomile tea.
It was an email notification from the Federal Aviation Safety Bureau's regional director.
I opened the message with mild curiosity.
“Dear Ms. Moretti,” the email read. “Following your recent recovery and submission of independent structural audit certifications, our regional compliance board has officially selected you as the lead senior aerospace safety inspector for the upcoming transatlantic cargo fleet modernization initiative. Contract value: $145,000 annually, with fully remote diagnostic scheduling options accommodating your temporary medical recovery period. Please confirm your acceptance by Friday.”
I stared at the screen, a slow, genuine smile spreading across my face.
One hundred and forty-five thousand dollars. More than double my previous contract rate, with complete professional autonomy and zero family interference.
My front door buzzer rang, breaking my train of thought.
I grabbed my designer crutches—the sturdy, ergonomic ones Vesper’s firm had gifted me—and made my way carefully across the hardwood floor to answer the door.
Standing in the hallway was Alden.
He looked noticeably healthier than he had at the resort two weeks ago. He wore a simple gray cotton sweater and jeans, holding a small cardboard box containing a few remaining personal items he had retrieved from the shared apartment he once rented with Sutton.
“Hi, Fallon,” Alden said softly, offering a sheepish, tentative smile. “I hope I’m not intruding. I know you’re probably sick of dealing with anyone connected to that circus.”
“You’re not intruding, Alden,” I replied, stepping back to let him inside. “Come on in. Watch the rug—my medical boot likes to shed rubber fragments.”
Alden walked into the living room and placed the cardboard box on the kitchen counter. He looked around the modest, cozy two-room apartment, taking in the overflowing bookshelves, the stack of aerospace engineering blueprints on the desk, and the warm sunlight streaming through the single window.
“It’s nice here,” he said quietly, sitting down on the edge of the sofa. “Real. No marble stairs, no champagne towers, no fake social media followers.”
“It’s mine,” I said simply, pouring a second cup of tea and handing it to him. “How are things with the legal fallout? Have you heard from Sutton?”
Alden shook his head, taking a sip of the tea. “Her defense attorney tried to argue that the fund transfers were an informal 'family loan' with verbal authorization, but between Vesper’s financial forensics and cousin Briany’s raw video footage of the stair push, the district attorney rejected the plea deal immediately. She’s currently facing three felony counts in a county holding facility awaiting trial. Her social media accounts were permanently banned for fraud and targeted harassment.”
He looked down into his teacup, his expression softening with genuine remorse.
“Fallon, I want to apologize again. For being blind. For not seeing how toxic they were to you for all those years. I let myself get sucked into their superficial world because I thought it represented stability. I was an idiot.”
“You weren't an idiot, Alden,” I said gently, sitting across from him. “You were just surrounded by master manipulators who treated everyone around them like props in their personal theater. The important thing is that we both got out before the curtain fell permanently.”
He smiled—a real, unforced smile that made him look ten years younger.
“So,” Alden said, leaning forward resting his elbows on his knees. “I heard a rumor from Vesper that you just landed a major federal aerospace inspection contract.”
May you like
“I did,” I replied, raising my teacup in a silent toast. “Full remote diagnostics, zero airport tarmac sprinting required for at least six months, and a very healthy salary increase.”
“Well,” Alden said, his eyes locking onto mine with a warm, steady gaze. “If you ever need an assistant to carry your clipboard, review structural blueprints, or make sure no one pushes you down any staircases… my schedule happens to be completely open.”
